To understand the difference between health and well-being, in short, health is a state of being, while well-being is the state of living a healthy lifestyle. Health refers to physical, mental and social well-being; well-being aims to improve well-being.
Health and well-being
are not synonymous. Health simply refers to a physical body being disease-free, but well-being is a general balance of its physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, environmental, and occupational well-being.Well-being is a lifestyle and it is not an end to be achieved. Well-being means that you strive for balance throughout your life. On the other hand, health would be that a person wants to lose weight and lower blood pressure. Once you do, you are considered healthy.
Health is a goal one can achieve, while well-being is a dynamic concept that lasts a lifetime. There are two important aspects to this definition: first, well-being is not a passive or static state, but rather an “active search” that is associated with intentions, choices and actions as we work towards an optimal state of health and well-being. Secondly, well-being is linked to holistic health, that is, it extends beyond physical health and incorporates many different dimensions that should work in harmony. While it's easy to jump straight to eating better and exercising when you think about health, the well-being of your mind is also crucial to overall health.
Focusing on improving your finances and having a healthy relationship with how you make and use money can dramatically improve your ability to create well-being in your life. The steps one would take to improve any of those areas of health could start with many of the same things, such as aiming to lose weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol by limiting processed foods, eating more nutrient-dense foods, prioritizing sleep, managing stress, not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption and much more. The main difference between health and well-being is that health is the goal and well-being is the active process to achieve it. The definition of well-being is an active concept that describes living a healthy lifestyle and achieving your full potential.
Nina holds a bachelor's degree in dietetics, nutrition and food science from the University of Vermont, graduated from the IIN Health Coach Training Program, and is a NASM certified personal trainer. The ways in which you experience your body are very important to your overall health and fitness. A wellness lifestyle is feasible whether you are in perfect health or are struggling with a chronic illness. To experience well-being, it's crucial to work on your relationship with your mental and emotional health.
Examples of wellness factors could include eating intentionally and as clean as it feels mentally healthy for you, choosing to move your body every day in a joyful way, working on your issues so you can experience better relationships, and choosing a career that supports your well-being and influences the people around you in a healthy way. By making simple, healthy choices on a daily basis, you'll be well on your way to reducing stress, positive social interactions, and achieving optimal well-being. Your health involves the way you eat (your nutrition), the way you move your body (exercise), and the absence of acute or chronic illnesses. Well-being is achieved when someone strives for balance in their life by constantly making decisions to improve their health and satisfaction.
Health is related to your physical functioning, while wellness focuses on the quality of being in all areas of your life - not just your body. Health refers to a state in which the physical body is free from disease; while well-being refers to the general balance of a person's physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, environmental, and occupational wellbeing.